An Overlea High School teacher is on administrative leave after he allegedly posted controversial tweets on X.com (formerly Twitter)
According to the Baltimore Banner, there was a Twitter handle that used the name “RennerTraining” and a post on Feb. 3 allegedly stated “Was just sent a list of students who are allowed to legally skip today in support of illegals as most are illegal. Do i contact ICE or let it slide?”
The Banner also reported there was another alleged post a few days later “we had almost 50 students at my school be legally excused to skip and support illegals protest earlier this week. All are either immigrants or kids of. If you want the names to investigate families to find illegals, let me know in dm [direct message]. I’ll give names and school. All in Md.”
There was no official statement released from Baltimore County Public Schools.
TABCO, Teachers Association of Baltimore County released a statement about the alleged tweets.
We are aware of alleged actions by an educator at Overlea High School last week.
While TABCO does not comment on ongoing disciplinary matters regarding members of the bargaining unit, we do comment on our core values and our mission. Our founding documents call for us “to be guided in all [our] actions by the highest sense of social and academic responsibility.”
Further, those same bylaws call for us to “maintain and promote those conditions which will improve … the quality of service to students and the community.” Our collectively established values statement calls for us to “promote[] the betterment of education in Baltimore County for educators, students, families, and communities.” And the first goal in our official Policy Manual is “To guarantee public education as a basic right.”
These have been TABCO’s core principles and governing charges, in times when stating them is controversial and when it is not.
Since our founding in 1918, we have worked to educate all children, and we stand by our mission and purpose today. Beyond TABCO’s founding documents and values, the US Supreme Court has held that all children, regardless of immigration status, have a constitutional right to a K-12 education.
It’s also important to note that all students have privacy rights based on federal FERPA protections. And while immigration issues may seem complicated, some things are simple: children do not decide where and how their parents choose to move.
In short, TABCO is focused on educating children when they enter the schoolhouse, and we always will be.
